A Poem... That I did not write

Everyone longs to give himself or herself to someone...to have a deep soul relationship with one another...to be loved thoroughly and exclusively...But God says...


"No...
Not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone...
To have an intensely personal relationship with Me alone...
Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found...
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you...
You will never be united with one another until you are completely united with Me...
Exclusive of anyone or anything else...
Exclusive of any other desires or longings...

And when you are ready...
I'll surprise you with a love...
Far more wonderful than any of you would dream of...
You see...until you are ready...
until the person I have for you is ready...
I am working even at this moment to have you both ready at the same time...
Until you are BOTH satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have for you is ready...
You won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me...
And is thus the perfect Love...
Don't be anxious...don't worry...
Don't look at the things others have gotten or that I have given them...
Don't look at the things you want...
Just keep looking up to Me or you will miss what I want to show you...
I want you to stop planning...
stop wishing and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing...
one that you cannot imagine...
I want you to have the best...please allow Me to bring it to you...
You must keep watching Me...expecting the greatest things...
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am...Keep listening to the things I tell you...
Just wait...that's all...

And dear one...I want you to have the most wonderful love...
I want you to see in the flesh...the picture of your relationship with Me and to enjoy materially and concretely...the everlasting...
Union of beauty...perfection...and the love that I offer you with Myself...Know that I love you utterly...I am God...Believe it and be satisfied..."

The Mission Behind the Title

       Lowell High School can be quite the jungle all the time on certain occasions. One of these times, is homecoming week. With all the craziness of spirit days, the football game, and of course, the dance, people tend to lose track of themselves, what they stand for and they end up following the crowd more than ever. The girls in their short soffee shorts, tall socks and sports bras with their stomachs painted at the game, the guys encouraging their behavior, the silly spirit days, as well as many other things combine to create a rough week.

     Well, this year me and several of my friends decided to try and change that. With little idea of where to start, I consulted with my sister, Leslie. Together, we came up with the idea of t-shirts with the phrase "I'm bringing classy back" on them.  Several trips to Ella's (the local coffee shop), many hours on Google, and lots of brutally honest opinions operation "Bring Classy Back" was formed.

      Maddie and I then contacted several girls from our school that we thought would like to get involved. Some of the girls did, and some didn't, but that was expected. The next week we ordered the shirts! After many, many calls to Pep Talk, pleading with the woman over the phone and praying the shirts arrived just in time! We had planned on wearing them the day before the homecoming dance but weren't sure if they would be here in time. Once again, God made it happen. I arrived to school early on Friday morning to hand out the shirts to the other 8 girls and everyone of them loved the design.

      Throughout the day, we had very mixed reviews. Most of the comments made to my face were very positive, it was the ones I wasn't supposed to hear that really made me laugh. I heard a few of the "popular guys" say "I hate those shirts. They're so stupid." I simply chuckled to myself and decided it wasn't worth a response, for the scripture says " Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.".  At the end of the day, I was glad I did it. I took the risk, put myself out there. I decided that if it changed one person for the better, one person out of all 1,200 students, then it was worth it.

Clothing

Clothing brands and stores are something I feel very strongly about. I've never understood why people are willing to pay over twice the price for something just for the little logo embroidered somewhere on the article of clothing. 

Example A:

These jeans are $22.99

 these jeans are $59.63

Now, maybe I am crazy but I see very little difference is these two pairs of jeans. In fact, I like the jeans on the right better!

Example B: 

  

This sweater is $19.99

This sweater is $49.50 

Both sweaters are really cute! I do realize the one on the right is going to fit better, and hold up better but is it really worth more than twice as much?!

Example C:

These socks are $21.99

These socks are $8.00

Socks make me really angry! I can't justify spending tons of money on socks when I know I am just going to lose them before too long! 

Although I could continue to find many more examples, I think I shall stop there.

 So why do people spend so much more for "brand names". Yes, they are better quality and will last longer but with things that are going to go out of style, get lost or you just won't like anymore what's the point?! I think many teenagers spend the extra money because they feel good seeing the little seagull birdie things, moose's, and capital letter "A"s filling their closet. Nor are they the one's buying all of these overpriced items of clothing. I for one am so proud to say that I have owned one pair of shoes from American Eagle (which were a gift) and nothing else from there. I have never bought a single thing from Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch, nor do I ever plan to!

More than a Blue Ribbon

Last weekend I had the worst show of my entire life, not exaggerating. My dressage test, horrible. I didn't know I had to memorize it until roughly 10 minutes before so I was forgot everything I have ever been tought about riding due to the stress of guessing my whole way through the pattern. I made stupid mistakes, I should've done better and I know so much more than what I showed. Cross country, decent. I had a blast but once again, I didn't ride it that well. Stadium, horrible is an understatement. Some of stadium was my fault, some of it was from Breena's lack of experience and some of it from Breena being a jerk :). The second jump, Breena went around it. I will admit that this particular one was my fault. I assumed she would go and I was a little too confident. But whatever she went over it the second time just fine. Fence 4B she also ran out on. That was just her lack of experience. Every fence just seemed to be getting worse and worse. I managed to get through my course and went to turn to do my final courtesy circle and well... Breena didn't turn. Everything got dead silent and next thing I knew we were going over an extra jump that I wasn't expecting so I fell forward and was clinging to her neck. She proceeded to shake her head and send me flying. I was on my feet for a short moment but momentum sent me tumbling backwards. As I lied on the ground trying to regain my breath I knew I had hit hard. I had this whole mental debate as to if I should continue to lay there or not but decided it wasn't worth the paramedics coming. As i stood up and grabbed my pony who had just been standing over me looking down as if saying "Sorry Mom, I was just trying to make up for the other jumps I refused the first time" I began to laugh. But then as I excited the areana and everyone clapped I started to cry. Not out of pain for it didn't hurt that bad but more out of embarrassment and shock. I quickly get my emotions in check and began to laugh as I talked the whole thing over with Kelsey and Rita. I unfortunately had to go back in the ring for the victory gallop covered in dust where I hung my face in shame. I galloped around the ring last after receiving my 6 inch "completer" ribbon and headed back to the trailer to pack  up and go home.
       Although I same still processing everything nearly a week later I think that I am glad the way things turned out. Sure, I was embarrassed and disappointed and incredibly sore but I learned so much more than I would have if everything had gone as planned. Kelsey came home with a pretty blue ribbon that she got to hang on her wall next to the rest of her blue ribbons, but what did Kelsey learn? I'm sure she learned something, but I can almost guarantee you not as much as me. I learned lessons about life, about Breena and about myself and that means more to me than a blue ribbon. In 10 years I'll have too many ribbons than I know what to do with I won't miss the one from last weekend. In fact, I just read about someone that threw all their ribbons away when they went to college. The lessons I learned last weekend I will have for my entire life; I won't ever forget those lessons. Looking back on Sunday September 18th, I learned so much than any ribbon of any color will every be able to teach me. And I'd take this knowledge over a ribbon that will end up being crinkled and thrown into a box anyway, any day.

Hunters Run 2011

Last weekend, I went to my first horse trial/event and it was everything I could have ever imagined. On Saturday, we went and schooled the course for awhile which was a total blast! Leslie and Josh came and watched, supported and took tons of pictures. I still can't believe they drove over 2 hours just to come watch me ride my horse. Josh got some awesome pictures with the help of Leslie and then they headed off on their long journey home.

After we bathed the horses and got everything packed up we headed on our way to our sleeping arrangements we had previously made. After nearly 15 minutes of winding, narrow, bumpy dirt roads lined with trees on both sides (which appeared rather frightening at night) we arrived at the barn bed and breakfast. We unloaded the horses, put them in their huuuuge stalls that were literally nearly twice the size of the stalls at home, fed them then headed into the house. The house was super cute and had so much character. I don't know how to do it justice so you'll just have to check out The Crooked House Farm  for yourself.

After a mere 5 hours of sleep, we were up and at it again! We had everything and everyone reloaded and when we went to start the truck, we had a dead battery. After a few moments of panic, we jumped it and headed on our way! I was first out of our group to do my dressge test. Warm up was horrible, the grass was wet and Breena was just not listening. I pretty much decided to give up for then and just wing it when I went into ring. I got through the test, grimacing the whole way through. At the end, I was okay with my performance. I'd done worse, I'd done better, I just hoped it was enough to get me a ribbon.

Then it was Cross Country time. I couln't stop smiling my entire course, I was just having such a blast. She cleared every fence with ease, didn't look at any of them and was a dream. I knew I was going to slow but the wet grass and hills were making me nervous and I decided the time faults weren't as bad as getting either of us hurt. Afterall, I wasn't planning on bringing a ribbon home anyway.

Kelsey and I were looking everywhere for placings but ended up going back to the trailer empty handed and just as impatient as when we left. Upon returning, we found out that our trainer had found the placings and we got 2nd and 3rd! I was second after dressage by .5 of a point but my time faults pushed me back to third. Kelsey was 3rd after dressage and moved up when I went too slow. I had never, ever beaten Kelsey at dressage so I quite pleased, to say the least. 

All in all, I brought home so much more than a ribbon last Sunday. I brought home memories, many lessons learned and had a lot of fun. Oh, and Breena and I continued to prove many people wrong. I just love her so much.

That time of year

I suppose it's that time of year again, time to get back to organization, schedules, studying, sleeping during normal hours and stressing out. I can't truthfully say that I was looking forward to your arrival, in fact I was kind of  dreading it. But this year, things are going to be different. Last year I was a typical freshmen, my main goal being to simply skate be under the radar and to never be noticed, for anything. Well, I'm not doing that this year. I want to be noticed. Now, don't get that mixed up with being popular because that is in now way what I'm striving for. I don't care if I have tons of friends, I don't care if I'm at the "popular table", I don't care if my phone is constantly blowing up with text messages. I just want to do something , something that matters (hello operation "bring classy back"). I want to take risks, and stand out in my class of nearly 300. I'm going to challenge my peers to do the same. So here's to sophomore year. To making a difference and making it count.

Looking ahead

Even if it is 4 months away, I've already begun thinking about the year of 2012. Two Thousand and Twelve Is going to a year of change and has it quickly approaches, I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for it. For one thing, one of my favorite people in this whole entire world is moving half way across the planet. Although she is going for a great reason and I am so proud of her, I am going to miss Leslie. Second, my best friend is moving off to college far, far away to chase her dreams. Third, I am going to be the only child in my house as all of my other siblings will have moved out. Fourth, I will most likely be moving Breena to another barn where things will work out better for the both of us. Oh how I can't wait to see what plans God has made for me in the year of twenty twelve!